Deepfakes, AI managed well during elections, says CEC Rajiv Kumar

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said the apex polling body was able to effectively manage deepfakes and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated synthetic content during the general elections.

“During elections this time, we have even been able to kind of manage and control the menace of deepfakes and AI-generated synthetic content. This is one of the greatest stories which we want to tell you,” said Kumar.

He was addressing a press conference a day before the results of the Lok Sabha elections. Kumar also said that this has been possible due to proper training of officials.

“We have been training people for a year, including district magistrates and police officials, to file a case as soon as any such incident comes to news and catch (the culprit) at the earliest,” he added.

The election commissioner said the efforts of the commission resulted in a significant fall in the number of AI-manipulated content during elections.

“When we started this election, we were very worried about what kind of AI-generated content would come this time — someone's photo with someone, someone's voice being used with someone, or somebody was shown fighting somewhere. But AI-generated misleading content actually came down,” he said.

 

The Election Commission (EC) took various steps to contain the impact of deepfakes and AI-enabled misinformation during the Lok Sabha elections.

In May, 2024, the commission asked political parties to remove fake content from their social media platforms within three hours of being brought to their notice.

This came after deepfake videos of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and actors Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh were posted on certain social media handles.

The polling body also warned the parties against misuse of AI-based tools to create deepfakes that distort information or propagate misinformation. It called for upholding the integrity of the electoral process.

The EC also collaborated with Big Tech firms, including Google and Meta, to curb the spread of synthetic content.

The commission also launched a ‘Myth Vs Reality’ register on its website to bust fake news on a regular basis during the elections.